Snack foods such as potato crisps (chips) are typically sealed into packets or bags straight after manufacture to preserve freshness. Different flavoured crisps will be manufactured and packaged on separate lines. It is then common practice to bring together a collation of packets of predetermined numbers of each flavour for overall packaging in a larger bag or packet. Alternatively, packets of the same-flavoured products may be collated in the same way, packets from multiple production lines being brought together in one final collation packaging line to ensure a sufficient delivery rate.
In a conventional collation packaging line, the packets are delivered from the individual product lines on to a common conveyor, from where packets are individually selected and lifted into the collation line by robotic devices. Because this selection and lifting operation is relatively slow, a number of robotic devices are needed, and a large amount of packing house space is required for the operation, and this increases costs.
There is therefore a need for a more compact and flexible collating and packaging system.